What are the difference between goals and resolutions?
Time for me to share my goals with you so you can hold me accountable.
*Cover photo? One goal is to always travel.
Novel Writing
- Find a great agent to represent: Cosmic Cold Cases of Pittsburgh: Murder at the Canalucci Creamery. The mystery set in my city is done. It has gone through the brutal review of several friends. You know the kind of friends who actually tell you when you have spinach stuck in your teeth, your hair looks bad, or yes, those pants make your butt look big. Those friends have all given it a resounding A+. My brother already asked where the next edition is—he wants the sequel.
- Write the next mystery in the Cosmic Cold Cases of Pittsburgh series. What should it be titled? So many ideas!
Blogging
- Increase my blog subscribers. I love writing this blog each week. I love hearing from people who found something in my blog worth commenting on. My appetite to have more commenters is insatiable! If you like what you read, please subscribe and please forward the link to a friend (or two or three)!
Travel
Travel with Alex. This is an ongoing goal. We travel well together—which is not something you can say about every friend in your life, right?
De-jiggle
Being physically small doesn’t automatically mean I’m fit. Treatment for my hypothyroidism has started working. It no long wreaks havoc on my ability to sustain a workout. I’ve got the cutest dress to wear on a trip somewhere warm. My determination is to tone my muscles so I can wear it with confidence that I’m not scaring small children.
Social Media – sigh
I feel I should write that a goal is to conquer Facebook, but it’s never going to happen. The program makes me insane. Insane! Things change too often for me to comprehend. Other than enjoying the photos my friends post and “meeting” Mr. William Sleeper of Geek Wire fame, I simply can’t get behind this media.
I enjoy LinkedIn and I’m determined to use it better. I want to connect with people I can help, who can help me, and build rapport with them.
The original of the below is not my creation. I have carried it around with me for twenty years and would gladly give credit to whomever created it, but I have no idea where it came from. I’ve embellished and changed it many times to suit the way my brain functions.
Plan to Achieve Your Goals
What are you up to achieving in this splendid year ahead?
1. Desire—do you really want it?
2. Belief–it is without question that you will achieve this Goal
3. Write your Goal clearly and specifically
4. Write the benefits you will achieve from reaching your Goal
5. Goals require deadlines
6. Income Goals require an amount
7. What is your starting point
8. Identify possible obstacles to overcome
9. Identify the knowledge required to achieve your Goal
10. What people, groups or organizations can help you
11. Use a defined, written format to measure, follow and re-plan
12. Visualize your Goal every day—see yourself possessing it
13. Start immediately and never give up
14. Time Management:
a. Each week and day be clear and specific about the time you will devote to the goal and what you will do during that time
b. Make complete plans
d. Prioritize—Determine the most important action and stay with it until it is 100% complete
15. Remember that being creative is the means for Goal Achievement. Always be looking for new ideas and methods to move closer to your goals.
Let me know what you’re up to this year!
Are there more things I want to get done in the coming year? As they say in Montana, You betcha. But this is a good start.
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Read: Goal worksheets
Great post, Rose! Like you, I don’t set New Year’s resolutions, as any day can be the beginning of a “new year,” and the start of growth. I’ve been finding better success with setting goals if I can break them down into tiny, quantifiable steps – and steps that I can control. I can’t control, for instance, whether I get an agent or not, but I can control the number of submissions I make. My goal for the year in this area is 48, which initially seems overwhelming to me, but if I do 4 a month, or one a week, I can reach that goal, and it seems more manageable.
You are right on with that plan, Karen. Steps, bites of goals…it’s like sewing. You have to follow the steps in the proper order to put together the final project. No skipping or you wind up with arm-hole-less blouses.
My goal is simply to type less, talk more..both at work and in my personal life. So maybe that means I will call you this weekend to keep on track:)
I think talking more and typing less is a wonderful goal, LaRue. It is so easy to let email substitute for the personal contact of conversing. I’m going to do more calling/visiting this year, too!
I have never been one to make resolutions, but this year for the first time I set down some goals for the coming year. Maybe it helps that this is the first year that I have started out with a push for my own dreams instead of working for someone elses.
Me either on the resolutions, Jon. If you have time to flip back a couple of blogs to Goals vs. Resolutions, we’re probably on the same wave length. I hope that 2013 is a banner year for you to pursue your unique goals~
Good for you setting goals Rose and I love the de-jiggle which is one goal I set myself although not expressed as well as yours. I started walking along the beach and using benches for tricep dips.
I’m envious of your beach-walking exercise, Susan. Pittsburgh has river trails, but beaches? Nope! I love doing tricep dips–they are so hard, but it feels like I’m accomplishing something. Good luck with your 2013 goals!
Your goals are out there for the world to see…I’d say accountability will be your new middle name, my friend! I know you can do it!
What was I thinking!
I don’t make resolutions, Nadinee-Weni; I set goals. To me there’s a world of difference between the two. I resolved years ago to do/be/live…whatever…the way I want to. The goals, though–they change and evolve throughout the year. Here’s to kicking butt with the above list!
I just saw a news story that 45% of people make resolutions and a dismal 8% of those people follow-through. I’m in that 55% who does not make resolutions in January! Since you are one of the 45% I’m hoping that you, Ms. Rose, are in the 8% who is successful.